Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 513: Land of Purity

Although Astrid had spoken those words, the teasing tone and flirtatious expression in her eyes were unmistakably genuine. Rather than a serious reprimand, her deliberate emphasis on hierarchy and formality felt more like a playful tease, provoking the pink-haired girl standing before her, who had finally taken the initiative for once.

Lyra naturally understood this too. Her ears turned red as she glanced at Astrid, then casually brushed aside a strand of hair that had just fallen over her shoulder, hearing the approaching flush footsteps of the head maid near the carriage.

"It was Princess Astrid who started it first, deliberately."

First provoking her with words, making her perform such intimate actions. Then taking matters into her own hands to tease her further, even describing the sensations aloud afterwards.

She had only resisted once.

After speaking, Lyra didn’t wait for Astrid to tease her further. She bent down, slipped a finger into the back of her small leather shoe, and gently tugged at the heel to keep the silk around her ankle from wrinkling. Then, she quickly stepped out of the carriage with her pair of snow-white, silk-clad legs.

Watching Lyra’s slightly flustered figure, Astrid moistened her lips, tidied her own attire, then reached out and took the hand extended from outside the carriage, stepping firmly onto the ground.

"Lyra, you go rest first. I need to talk to Professor Charlotte about something."

The resonance spell had succeeded, and the plague in Siyak Town was temporarily suppressed. Yet, two other hidden outbreak points remain unaddressed. There was still much work left for them.

"See you later."

Seeing the imperial princess standing in the wind and snow, her face now completely devoid of flirtatiousness, Lyra was slightly surprised by how quickly Astrid had regained her composure. She touched her cheek, feeling the warmth, and quickly turned her face aside to avoid being noticed by the surrounding soldiers.

"Alright, I’ll go inspect the walls first."

’She had just kissed me, and now she’s off to see someone else...’

A fleeting sense of resentment flashed through Lyra’s mind, but she quickly dismissed it, knowing full well that Astrid’s visit must be for official business. Such thoughts disappeared as quickly as they appeared.

The cold wind brushed against her cheeks, gradually cooling the lingering heat. The two parted ways. Lyra glanced back at Astrid, one last look, before watching the silver-haired beauty in a black dress walk into the fortress, accompanied by her maid, her footsteps slightly hurriedly.

Arriving at Charlotte’s private bedroom, Astrid briefly explained the day’s events. The head maid promptly brought tea for the two women.

"We successfully released [Surging Tide of Light] and [Resonance Hymn of the Glorious Cathedral]. Thanks to ancient incantations and the high status granted to Lyra by the Sword of Light, these light-element spells indeed had an immediate effect in dispersing the plague."

Astrid took a sip of hot tea to warm herself from the accumulated chill outside, then continued, her eyes fixed on the mature, dark-haired beauty before her.

"However, this is only a temporary solution. We can’t guarantee these civilians won’t be reinfected, nor can we prevent the plague’s source from repeating their actions."

Currently, simply finding any two people to perform resonance magic was impossible. First, they rely on Lyra’s high status as the Sword of Light’s wielder. Second, they couldn’t cast ancient magic efficiently enough to purify the plague effectively. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Yet, the combination of Lyra and Astrid was unique. The disease had spread across nearly half the logistics zone. They couldn’t possibly run around all day, trying to cover every area, they’d be stretched too thin.

"Then it seems this is nothing but a transparent scheme by the Kingdom of Velys."

Charlotte uncrossed her long legs, her dark eyes fixed on the silver-haired girl.

"What do you plan to do, Little Astr? Abandon the entire logistics zone?"

If they truly did that, Velys’s goal would essentially be achieved. Losing several transit towns would severely disrupt their logistical supply chains.

Astrid fell silent for a moment, her gaze lingering on the swirling surface of her tea. The deep red liquid resembles a dark pond, reflecting the woman’s eyes.

"Our defenses against the plague are too limited, and our healing methods are too singular. Continuing as we are will only cause unbearable suffering among the common people."

Medieval technology was simply insufficient to protect civilians from plague. Meanwhile, healing magic had been firmly suppressed by the pioneer, Brennild. Waiting and praying for the plague to vanish on its own was utterly unrealistic.

"The successful dispelling spell was already a miracle. For now, I just hope to minimize civilian casualties, prevent trouble back in the capital, and avoid unsettling the morale of our frontline troops."

"Later, I’ll suggest to Duke Charles that we reduce supply routes, consolidate them, and gather potentially infected people into isolated border towns to receive purification under holy light."

A drop in logistical efficiency was inevitable. All they could do was minimize the impact and prevent too many from dying in this plague. Who knew how many lives lost to disease might become fuel for Brennild to regain her strength?

From Astrid’s words, Charlotte feels deeper implications.

"You mean, assign soldiers of Knight Rank and above to handle all logistics transport, loading, planning, transporting, unloading?"

This would indeed prevent the logistics teams from being infected, but it would place a massive strain on manpower.

Cooks and cart drivers can be found anywhere. Knights were another matter entirely. Their frontline soldiers were already stretched thin under Velys’s relentless attacks. How could they possibly spare even more?

Astrid shook her head gently, her voice soft.

"Not that extreme. We’ll still use civilians, but in greatly reduced numbers. With fewer supplies, transport operations will naturally shrink."

Thankfully, due to Hibbort’s earlier preparations, the fortress was stocked with enough supplies to last through winter. The only things currently lacking are building materials and elemental crystals.

"I’ll occasionally purify these people, and their horses, along with Lyra."

"As for the airships, each flight consumes vast amounts of crystals. They’re our last resort, to be used only in emergencies."

Brennild was proving more troublesome than anyone had anticipated. She didn’t even need to appear on the battlefield, merely by distorting doctrine, she could brainwash the Holy Sanctuary into fanaticism, then use her authority over plague to weaken the Valeria as a whole.

If she recovered faster, spread the plague wider, even to the capital, and make it strong enough to infect mid-tier knights...

The consequences will be unthinkable.

"I’ll discuss the specific arrangements further with Duke Charles. The defensive strategy of holding out until winter should remain unchanged."

"But I came to see you, Lady Charlotte, for another reason entirely."

Hearing this, Charlotte lightly tapped the table, then asked in a smooth voice.

"What would you like to discuss, Little Astr?"

"Of course, the origin of this plague."

Astrid folded her hands under her chin, leaning slightly closer to Charlotte.

"Lyra mentioned she sensed a disturbing presence crossing the frontline, heading northeast."

Astrid had discussed this with Charlotte before. Now bringing it up again, Charlotte immediately grasped her meaning.

"Afterward, I evaluated but detected no significant magical reflections," Charlotte replied.

On the battlefield, ambient magic was chaotic and ever-changing. Elemental particles were pulled in all directions, spell formations shattered and reformed repeatedly, making it difficult to detect anomalies.

Moreover, one thing was certain, Charlotte found no traces of active dark element manipulation. On this frozen land dominated by Church Knights, dark element particles had long been compressed to nearly-zero levels. Even at dusk, they were barely noticeable, only replacing light once night fell.

"No magical fluctuations..." Astrid repeated softly, then asked gently.

"But what about the wind, Charlotte? Your most intimate element?"

"What was the wind direction at the time?"

The border between the Kingdom of Velys and the Valeria lies between a rift and mountain ranges. Cold air constantly flows from northwest to southwest, meaning the most common wind on the tundra was the northwest wind.

Hearing Astrid’s question, Charlotte paused briefly. As an Arcanist mage specializing in wind elements, she was intimately familiar with wind particle arrangements and highly sensitive to shifts in wind direction.

After careful recollection, confirming no abnormal southwest winds had blown that day, Charlotte sipped her tea, her pink lips parting.

"Just like today, a northwest wind carrying abundant ice element particles, cold and swift."

One could be covered in snow just standing outside for half a minute.

Astrid nodded slightly, her fingers lightly tapping the back of her hand.

"That settles it... With wind like this, there’s no need to deliberately manipulate magical flow. It’s already the perfect transmission medium..."

"Based on earlier deductions, Siyak Town wasn’t the origin of the plague. Everything traces back to some hidden, shadowy presence within Velys’s territory."

"Not water, not humans, not food. The plague spreads through the wind itself."

And right now, sitting before her was an Arcanist mage who excelled in controlling wind.

"Lady Charlotte, could you make the central towns, those soon to become transport hubs, into windless eyes, completely isolated from the plague’s source?"

Inside the barrier, Astrid had seen Charlotte cast [Drowning Sea of Wind]. That immense tornado had filled the sky, appearing capable of destroying the world. Yet at that time, Charlotte had only been an early tier Arcanist mage, not the mid-tier she was now.

"..." Charlotte paused briefly, her lips parting slightly.

"I think I understand the effect you’re looking for."

"You want that town completely enveloped by uncontaminated wind, forming an independent, safe zone."

Years ago, that dark shadow revived on barren land had been no match for Arcanist mage Charlotte. Even if she had grown powerful enough to fight other Arcanist mages, the vast distance, combined with the fact that according to Gemini’s message, Brennild wasn’t a deity specializing in wind, meant Charlotte likely held the advantage.

"A peak tier Magnus wind-element spell, [Land of Purity], might fulfill your request."

This spell was typically used to block toxic miasmas, sometimes also for defense against external attacks, such as thrown blades or solidified ice spears.

"Can you maintain it continuously, Lady Charlotte?" Astrid asked.

Charlotte nodded, replying gently.

"With my current reserves of mana and recovery rate, it should be feasible."

"The only issue is, it would expose my presence."

The Valeria possessed such a refined casting technique, with such lasting effects, and in wind-element magic, would easily point to middle tier Arcanist mage Charlotte.

Of course, there was also the possibility that Anthony, headmaster of Elizabeth Academy of Magic, had come to the frontlines. He was a peak high-tier Arcanist mage capable of casting powerful wind-element spells. However, he was most likely still in the capital, guarding it. So that possibility was slim.

"Lady Charlotte, the fact that you’re staying at Liya Tower Fortress probably isn’t a secret anymore. When the mana energy cannons keep roaring, the Church must have realized your presence."

Moreover, before relations between the two nations worsened, Velys had already acquired knowledge of Charlotte’s identity as the reformer of mana energy machinery. Now that mana energy weapons were shining brightly in war, and to reduce transportation burdens and obtain first-hand experimental data, it was natural for the inventor to remain nearby.

They already assumed Charlotte was hiding somewhere along the border. The pressure she exerted was also one of the reasons Velys hadn’t yet deployed their own Arcanist mages. Charles and Charlotte. These two Arcanist-level figures were publicly known to be present. Who knew how many others were hidden in the shadows.

After listening to Astrid’s detailed analysis of the pros and cons, Charlotte nodded in agreement, then spoke.

"Mm, if that’s the case, once the specific plan is finalized, I’ll begin preparations."

Simply using an Arcanist mage to protect domestic towns, without appearing on the battlefield to unleash destructive spells, was consistent with the tacit understanding between the two nations.

Finishing her tea, Charlotte softly sobbed, realizing she probably wouldn’t even have time for a peaceful sleep from now on.

"Little Astr really knows how to push me. First developing mana energy weapons, now occasionally casting spells to ensure [Land of Purity] never fails."

Astrid looked up at Charlotte, her tone especially gentle.

"I know you’re working hard, Charlotte."

And she knew those words weren’t complaints, just joking banter between family.

To transcend the limits of Arcanist mage norms and use her power to influence the battlefield, protect the defenseless, Charlotte must be truly happy inside.

"So if you get tired, let me know anytime."

Astrid gave a look to the head maid, who immediately brought over a mana energy kettle and refilled Charlotte’s and Astrid’s cups with warmed tea.

"I’ll try my best to keep you company whenever you feel exhausted."

Even if it might not be much help, perhaps all I can do is chat, sleep, or give you a massage, at least it’d offer some comfort on a psychological level.

After all, Charlotte’s social circle was almost entirely in the capital. Right now, the person she knew best and felt closest to was Astrid alone.